Discuss - Housing Spare Room Subsidy -

Should housing benefit claimants lose some benefit if they have more bedrooms than they use?

Conservative As part of a host of benefit changes introduced on 1 April 2013 under the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the Conservative government removed what it called the spare room subsidy. Under the changes, tenants in social housing have their benefit reduced by 14% if they have a spare bedroom or 25% if they have two or more. Source: The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/17/bedroom-tax-housing-benefit-reform-explained

DUP "We don't believe the bedroom tax being imposed on existing tenants is fair or reasonable and we think it's caused undue hardship, so we would like to see that abolished right across the board," he explained." - Nigel Dodds, DUP. Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/general-election-2015-dup-can-do-business-ed-miliband-after-vote-1487347

Green Party "As well as being nasty, this policy has simply not worked. For example in Brighton and Hove, 88% of those affected haven’t moved - and many for very good reason. Of the 1,174 households affected, 400 are now in arrears. Of that 400, 237 have someone with a disability. Many of those not in arrears are relying on food-banks and/or resorting to payday loans and doorstep credit." Source: Caroline Lucas, http://www.carolinelucas.com/latest/the-bedroom-tax-callous-nasty-and-counter-productive

Labour Labour would "scrap the bedroom tax". Source: Labour Party Manifesto, http://b.3cdn.net/labouruk/89012f856521e93a4d_phm6bflfq.pdf

Liberal Democrat We will reform the policy to remove the spare room subsidy. The subsidy will continue to be removed for new tenants in social housing but existing social tenants will not be subject to any housing benefit deduction until they have received a reasonable offer of alternative social rented accommodation with the correct number of bedrooms. Source: Liberal Democrat party.

Plaid Cymru "Plaid Cymru has always opposed this regressive and cruel tax. The bedroom tax has led to an increase in rent arrears, evictions and repossessions in Wales, and created untold misery to families who face losing their home as a result of it. Indeed it will not even save money, with Community Housing Cymru estimating the cost of re-adapting smaller homes for use by disabled people as £15m alone." Plaid Cymru Housing Spokeswoman Jocelyn Davies, http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ams-vote-today-new-call-7080213

Respect Party "The Lib Dems are complete hypocrites. Earlier this year they were pledging to scrap the tax, now they have saved it with their votes. If they had voted alongside me and Labour, if they had even abstained, then we’d be on the way to scrapping this hated tax. Shame on them. Shame on David Ward. His constituents will, I’m sure, be visiting that shame on him with their votes in just a few months time." - Respect Party Leader George Galloway.

SNP "Scottish National Party (SNP) had pledged to abolish the bedroom tax within a year of independence if it is achieved by the referendum later this year [after the Scottish Independence Vote]." Source: Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scottish-government-given-power-to-end-bedroom-tax-9320374.html

UKIP "UKIP opposes the bedroom tax because it operates unfairly, penalising those who are unable to find alternative accommodation and taking insufficient account of the needs of families and the disabled." Source: UKIP, http://www.ukip.org/policies_for_people

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